EDUCATION FOR PEACE .
An article from Il Mattino
Building peace in a global context marked by tensions such as the Russian-Ukrainian one and especially the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: an urgency that requires the commitment and sensitivity of everyone, but also the professionalism of many.
From November 11 to 22, 2024, Naples will host the XVI edition of the Naples Human Rights Film Festival “Building a Culture of Peace”, dedicated to building peace precisely in days when the risk of escalation is most felt. Now a consolidated event on the national and international scene, the Festival, through cinema, aims to raise awareness and inform the public about major social issues and the state of Human Rights, and proposes itself, especially in this historical moment, as an important moment of reflection for the affirmation of rights in every part of the world, starting from the South, through the power of cinematic images and the testimony of the protagonists.
This year, the goal of the event, realized with the contribution of the Campania Region and the Campania Region Film Commission and with the support of the Municipality of Naples, is twofold: dedicated to the memory of the pacifist, anti-fascist, and non-violent Danilo Dolci, born exactly 100 years ago in Sesana in Friuli (now Slovenia), the XVI edition aims to orient young people towards the Professions of Peace, a competence too often ignored by schools and universities in European countries, and will do so by emphasizing, with a series of specific events, the role of Peace experts in the international context and announcing the birth, in collaboration with the Eastern University and the UN UPeace of Costa Rica, of a Summer School dedicated to the memory of Mario Paciolla, the Neapolitan cooperator who died in Colombia while serving the local UN Mission.
An opening evening dedicated to international dialogue
The inaugural ceremony, to be held on November 11 starting at 6:00 PM at the Spazio Comunale Piazza Forcella, will feature the participation of prominent international guests, including Ashok Swain, Director of the Department of Conflict Studies at Uppsala University (Sweden), Julie Khrebtan Hoerhager from the University of Colorado, and Enrico Calamai, former Italian vice-consul in Argentina, known for his commitment to Human Rights. It will be an opportunity to present the Festival program and kick off a series of meetings and screenings that will explore themes such as Peace, migrations, Human Rights, and resistance to their violations.
A program of screenings, international debates, and moments of reflection
The Festival will present a rich selection of films, competing for awards, chosen from works from 50 countries, with stories ranging from armed conflicts to challenges related to migrations, to struggles for freedom of expression. The film screenings in competition will take place at Palazzo Corigliano (Piazza San Domenico Maggiore) in the spaces of the Eastern University of Naples, which is among the main partners of the Festival. The screenings will take place every evening from 7:00 PM onwards and will feature the participation of international directors and authors.
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Film festivals that promote a culture of peace, Do you know of others?
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Alongside the screenings, the Naples Human Rights Film Festival will offer a series of events, with meetings and debates open to experts and witnesses, introduced by films out of competition. On November 14, at the Conference Room of the Eastern University, a seminar entitled “Training Paths for Peace Operators” will be held, with the participation of Roberto Savio (UPeace, Costa Rica), Ashok Swain (Uppsala University), Renato Briganti (Univ. Federico II of Naples) and Laurent Goetschel (University of Basel), introduced by Rector Roberto Tottoli and the faculty of the Eastern University. At the opening of the second week, a guest of the Festival will be Daniela Dolci, daughter of Danilo and member of the Festival jury, interviewed by Anna Polo, journalist of Pressenza and witness of the Trappeto (Palermo) experience. Another highlight will be the meeting on November 19 with the organization Combatants for Peace, formed by former Israeli and Palestinian combatants, represented by Ezster Koranyi and Rana Slman, who will share their experiences of peace and reconciliation, launching an appeal from Naples.
A Festival of civil commitment through cinema
The Naples Human Rights Film Festival confirms its commitment as a space for dialogue and denunciation, offering visibility to stories of resistance, struggle, and hope. In particular, awards such as the Peace Prize, presented by Minister Michele Coduri of the Swiss Embassy in Italy on the evening of November 14 at Palazzo Corigliano, and the awards dedicated to the best cinematographic works presented in competition will be awarded.
During the closing evening on November 22, presented by Mario Leombruno, coordinator of the Festival’s film competition, the winners of the different categories and special mentions will be announced; the establishment of the Summer School “Mario Paciolla” will also be announced, which will begin in the spring of 2025, a commitment that will see the Naples Human Rights Film Festival, the Eastern University, and the United Nations Peace University (Costa Rica) united to present the training paths and professional horizons of Peace Operators to young university students in Campania. The Summer School will be able to count on the collaboration of some important Italian and foreign universities, already present at the 2024 Festival, and will be named in memory of Mario Paciolla, Neapolitan cooperator and Peace Operator.
“The Naples Human Rights Film Festival is not just a cultural event, but a true invitation to civil commitment,” explains the Festival coordinator Maurizio Del Bufalo. “In a world marked by conflicts and injustices, it is necessary to continue defending Human Rights with strength and determination, and we continue to do so even this year, using Cinema as a means to tell and denounce violations and to promote Peace concretely as a commitment of life and not just as an aspiration.”
The Festival also this year relies on prestigious partnerships such as with FICC (Italian Federation of Cinema Circles), Un ponte per and ExpoItaly.
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